Chicken Summer Slaw

We were able to use some garden goodies for the salad last night. Snow peas and cucumber from the yard, plus sliced rotisserie chicken, sliced carrots, cabbage, sliced toasted almonds - tossed with a dressing made of orange balsamic vinegar, sesame oil, minced garlic, sugar, soy sauce and lime juice. It tasted like summer.

Deli Days at Ahavath Beth Israel

My hubby wanted pastrami. My kiddo wanted hot dogs. All I wanted was a pickle, so I purchased two. Details about the annual Deli Days event at: http://www.ahavathbethisrael.org/welcome/

Toasted Tortellini

I think I saw this tip on Pinterest. Toss frozen cheese tortellini in a little melted butter. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and roast at 325 degrees until brown and toasty. It worked as promised.

Popcorn 101

Take a close look at the popped kernels above. The one on the left is butterfly popcorn, the one on the right is mushroom popcorn. I adore popcorn of all types (except microwave-packet corn), and popped all kinds of ways. But knowing the difference can be helpful when adding toppings. The butterfly popcorn has deeper nooks and crannies to hold liquid additions - like butter. The mushroom top, with its multiple tiny cracks, holds powdered toppings well. Butterfly is the kind normally sold in grocery stores. You may need to go to a specialty store to get mushroom popcorn. Best popping method? I think they're all good as long as they get the job done.

What's Fresh in Idaho? Interesting Chart

Yes, I love potatoes. Yes, I love Idaho. But we don't harvest them year-round for fresh delivery to the people. Same goes for apples and onions. All are still tasty, but they're not a just-picked crop in all those months.

Easter Leftovers, with an Olive Twist

Egg salad. Chopped, boiled eggs. Mayonnaise. Dijon mustard. Salt. Freshly-ground pepper. Green Olives. Perfect lunch.

Looks Aren't Everything

 What a delicious-looking pot roast. Onions, garlic, shredded carrot, beef broth and a Williams Sonoma braising sauce. Potatoes added a few hours later. My kitchen smelled just like Williams Sonoma for hours.

However, even though I browned and seasoned the meat, the whole thing was bland. Lesson learned: The cheater sauce was no benefit for this meal.